On Halloween night, some UB students will trade tricks and treats for chickpeas and canned meats in an attempt to fight hunger in Buffalo.
The Center for Student Leadership and Community Engagement (CSLCE) has teamed up with Meal Exchange, a Canadian organization that raises money, food and awareness for the issue of hunger through volunteer programs like Trick or Eat.
This is the first year UB is participating in the program, according to Julie Zilnicki, a freshman pharmacy major who has helped to set the program up.
"[It's] only one of two campaigns being run in the United States," Zilnicki said.
Meal Exchange began in Canada in 1993, and colleges in the U.S. have recently started to get involved, according to the Trick or Eat Web site.
"[Meal Exchange] is a good program with a solid foundation, branching out into the U.S.," said Terri Frysh, community engagement coordinator for CSLCE.
As of Wednesday, 35 students have registered to participate in Trick or Eat, and CSLCE is hoping for 50 total volunteers, Frysh said.
"Students dress up as they would any Halloween, [but] when they arrive at the houses, they will replace 'trick or treat' with 'trick or eat,' " Zilnicki said. "All the houses [in the area] were given prior notice... so they can adequately prepare for when the students arrive."
Food donations from the evening will be given to the University Presbyterian Church Food Pantry in Buffalo. Trick or Eaters will focus on collecting donations from the University Heights area.
"We want to support the University Heights area and help build a relationship there," Frysh said.
The food pantry opened in 1984, and since then has provided about 470,000 meals to people in need, according to a University Presbyterian Church information sheet. On average, the pantry served 125 households each month in 2007. The beginning of 2008 saw a decrease in the food pantry's numbers, but those numbers have since gone up as the nation's economic problems worsened.
According to Frysh, hunger is a prevalent problem in the Buffalo area.
"Buffalo is the third poorest city in the country," she said.
Frysh added that many people on welfare and other government assistance programs turn to the food pantry for help.
In addition to food donations, Trick or Eat also accepts online monetary donations.
"For $2.50, that can provide meals for a lot of people," Frysh said.
A portion of the money donated online through Meal Exchange will go to the University Presbyterian Church's food pantry, she said.
Both monetary and food donations are important, according to Frysh.
"Food pantries are the first line we can do to make sure people are getting food," Frysh said. "Students know what they're doing is beneficial to the community."
Meal Exchange has been run on over 50 Canadian college campuses and has collected over $2 million worth of food, according to the Meal Exchange Web site.
"[Trick or Eat] is something that's fun and allows students to get involved on Halloween night without taking up their whole evening," Frysh said.
According to Zilnicki, Trick or Eat allows students to directly witness the impact their volunteer work has on the community.
"All the students who participate gain a sense of helping those in the community," Zilnicki said. "Because this campaign will benefit a local food bank, volunteers can see directly how they are helping."
Volunteer registration will continue online through Friday at www.trickoreat.ca, or students can come to the Student Union lobby the night of the event. Frysh said volunteers need only wear a costume and bring extra bags if they have them.
Volunteers will meet in the Student Union lobby at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Halloween night, and will begin collecting non-perishable items at 5 p.m., according to the CSLCE Web site.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
